Tom Aspinall’s first undisputed heavyweight title defense at UFC 321 ended in a no contest after Ciryl Gane accidentally poked him in both eyes near the close of a competitive opening round in Abu Dhabi. Bleeding from the nose and telling the doctor “I can’t see,” the 32-year-old Briton could not continue, keeping his belt but venting frustration as boos rolled through the arena. Gane apologized, calling the outcome disappointing. The round hinted at a sterner test, with Gane’s leg kicks and sharp one-twos blunting Aspinall’s usual first-round dominance.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.